Process for packing and leveling railway tracks and device for performing the same

ABSTRACT

This invention is for a highly efficient process and device for packing railway tracks by compacting ballast beneath the sleepers by a continuous forward movement along the section of the track to be packed, and comprises simultaneously performing two interdependent operations in two different zones, namely in a first zone introducing ballast beneath the sleepers and forming for said sleepers a new support surface, and in a second zone vertically tamping this support surface by applying to the rails and sleepers a vertical pulsating force.

United States Patent [191 Buchter et a1.

[11] 3,811,382 [451 May21, 1974 PROCESS FOR PACKING AND LEVELING RAILWAY TRACKS AND DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE SAME [75] Inventors: Jean-Edouard Buchter, Paveme;

Hans-Peter Jaeggi, Prilly, both of Switzerland [73] Assignee: Matisa Material lndustriel S.A.,

Crissier, Switzerland [22] Filed: June 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 263,974

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 7, 1971 Switzerland 9953/71 [52] U.S. C1 104/7 R, 37/104, 104/12 [51] Int. Cl E0lb 27/17 [58] Field of Search 104/12, 2, 7, 8; 171/16;

[56] v References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Fearon et al 104/12 Helgemeir 104/12 8 n n 2 A 3,685,456 8/1972 Plasser et a1 i. 104/2 3,545,384 12/1970 Plasser et a1 104/12 3,625,156 12/1971 Anderson l04/l2- 3,610,157 10/1971 Plokhotsky 6131.. 104/12 3,605,297 9/1971 Kershaw 37/105 2,989,930 6/1961 Flowers 37/104 3,491,467 l/l970 Finger 37/104 Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James M. Heilman; Wm. O. Heilman; Anthony J. Casella [5 7 ABSTRACT 13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PROCESS FOR PACKING AND LEVELING RAILWAY TRACKS AND DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE SAME The present invention has for its object a highly efficient process for packing railway tracks by compacting ballast beneath the sleepers by a continuous forward movement along the section of the track to be packed, as well as a device for performing said process.

High efficiency packing processes are already known, wherein simultaneously or successively a plurality of generally vibrating tools, working either vertically or longitudinally to the track, penetrate the ballast in order to compact said ballast beneath the sleepers, but the necessity of taking account of working irregularities during the forward movement necessitates the design of complex and precise devices for performing said process.

In addition processes are also known consisting of compacting the ballast beneath the sleepers by a continuous forward movement involving applying either to the rails or only to the sleepers a vertical pulsating force. However this process has only been used as a complementary packing operation.

The object of the present invention is to pack a railway track by the continuous forward movement, avoidin g the difficulties of the processes of the first type, and using for the packing a combination of the processes of the second type with a prior introduction of ballast beneath the sleepers.

To this end the process according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises simultaneously performing two interdependent operations in two different zones, namely in a first zone introducing ballast beneath the sleepers and forming for said sleepers a new support surface, and in a second zone vertically tamping this support surface by applying to the rails and sleepers a vertical pulsating force.

The ballast can be introduced beneath the sleepers in any appropriate manner, either laterally from the sides of the track, using for example, ploughs, or longitudinally from the sleeper cases to form a new support surface for the sleepers which is leveled out with the aid for example of leveling tools.

lt is advantageous during this ballast introduction operation to regulate the level of this new support surface for the sleepers as a function of the desired track level after packing, taking account of the track subsidence caused by the packing system used with this working method.

This regulation operation can be performed in two ways:

If the ballast is introduced laterally the track is raised and maintained raised in a continuous manner, substantially at the point of introducing the ballast beneath the sleepers, at the desired level defined for example by a leveling reference base of conventional design and the ballast is introduced beneath the sleepers until the base created thereunder by the raising operation is filled.

If the ballast is introduced longitudinally the ballast support surface level itself is regulated to a level such that the track when placed on said surface is located at the desired level.

When this new support surface is tamped via the rails and the sleepers subsidence occurs, the amount of which cannot'be a constant. Hence in another embodiment of the process according to the invention the tracks subsidence caused by the tamping is also regulated as a function of the desired level of the track so as to re-establish this constant.

This supplementary regulation operation can be performed in two ways:

either by varying at least one of the parameters of the pulsating tamping force if one desires to maintain a constant rate of advance of the packing operation;

or by varying the rate of advance of the packing operation if a constant pulsating tamping force is used.

Finally in a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention the regulation is corrected at the level of the new support surface of the sleepers as a function of the variations detected between the level of the track measured behind the tamping zone and the desired level. In other words instead of directly regulating the subsidence of the track caused by the tamping as indicated hereinbefore, the regulation of the level of the new sleeper support surface is corrected by introducing more or less ballast beneath the same, so that after tamping the track level is the desired track level.

The invention also has for its object a device for performing the process described, which is able to move along a railway track and to pack same by compacting the'ballast beneath the sleepers by a continuous forward movement, said device being characterised in that it comprises simultaneously at least one tool applying to the rails andsleepers a vertical pulsating force for tamping the ballast beneath the sleepers and at least one tool preceding the other introducing ballast beneath said sleepers.

Depending on the manner in which the ballast is introduced beneath the sleepers, and in order to regulate the level of the new sleeper support surface, said device is equipped:

either with at least two lateral ploughs, one on either side of the track for bringing ballast from the shoulders to beneath the sleepers, track lifting means such as rail tongs with rollers located close to the ploughs anda control means for the vertical position of said lifting means connected to ameasuring member, whereof the sensing device connected to the rails substantially upright to the ploughs senses the track level by reference to a leveling base,

or at least one vertically displaceable ballast leveling tool for bringing the ballast from the sleeper cases to beneath the sleepers and leveling the support surface of said sleepers, track lifting members located close to the leveling tool and-a control mechanism for the vertical position of the leveling tool connected to a measuring member, whereof the sensing device connected to the leveling tool senses the level of said tool by reference to a leveling base.

In addition to one of the equipments indicated above for also regulating the track subsidence caused by tamping, the device according to the invention comprises:

either a second control mechanism for varying at least one of the parameters of the pulsating force of the tamping tool, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring member, whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the level of the track by reference to the above-mentioned leveling base,

or a second control mechanism for varying the rate of advance of the device, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring member, whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the above-mentioned leveling base.

An embodiment of the device of the invention is shown in the attached drawing, in a preferred form permitting the correction of the regulation of the sleeper support surface level.

FIG. 1 of the drawing'shows an elevation of said device,

FIG. 2 shows a variant of the equipment permitting the introduction of the ballast beneath the sleepers,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing in a more detailed manner the tool of FIG. 2.

This schematic drawing only shows what is necessary for the satisfactory comprehension of the invention, and excludes all commonly used members, whereof the representation would overload the drawing and which cannot in any case form part of the invention. However these members will be mentioned, purely for reference purposes in the following description.

In the-device shown in FIG. I is a railway working machine, whereof the chassis 2 rests on the track via two bogies 4 and 5, whereof one 4 is equipped with driving wheels driven in a known manner via adrive using a motor 6 coupled to a speed variator 7.

This motor can also drive a generator and a hydraulic pump, which are not shown, to supply all the auxiliary equipment of the device. H

This device also comprises a reference leveling base line, here shown schematically by the straight line 8, parallel to the desired level 9 of the track. This reference base can be substantially in any known form, for

example an optical. cable or light beam system, and can either be fixed to the track or can move with the machine. The direction of movement for the packing operation is indicated by the arrow 10.

At the rear of the first bogie 4 the machine chassis supports via 2 height-regulatable suspension members such as hydraulic jacks II and 12, a ballast leveling tool I3 of conventional design, which-extends over the complete width of the track and which advantageously but not necessarily vibrates and is held at the front by an extensible tie rod 14;

' Another hydraulic jack .15 placed between the two mentioned hereinbefore drives a prehension roller 16 to raise the track to an adequate predetermined level in order topermit the free passage beneath the track of the leveling tool.

To the rear of said leveling tool and at the front of the rear bogie the machine chassis supports a tamping tool which can comprise, as shown in the drawing, a flange 17 provided with antifriction material such as teflon to slide along the rail, to said flange is fixed a vibrator 18 connected to a jcak 19, via an elastic connection such as a spring 20. This jack is supported at 21 on the machine chassis and permits the raising of the tamping tool as well as the application of a regulatable vertical static force on said tool. The tamping flange is held at the front by an extensible tie rod 22. The vibrator I8 is operated in such a way that it is possible to vary the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations caused.

A sensing device 23 fixed to the leveling tool 13 permits the determination of the level of the lower working variation e, relative to the reference base 8. This variation e, is measured by an electronic comparison system 26 connected to the base and to the sensing device and transformed into a control signal S,,.

The second sensing device 27 connected to the rail to the rear of the tamping flange 17 permits the determination of the level of the upper face of the rail head by measuring the variation e relative to the reference base 8. This variation e is measured by a second electronic comparison system 28 connected to the base and to the sensing device and transformed into a corrective signal Se This correction signal Se as it is or further corrected if necessary by means of adjustment member 30 is directed to a summation apparatus 31 which also receives control signal S The resulting signal 5,, Se, of this summation is then used as the signal for controlling the regulation of the level of leveling tool 13 which can for example take place by means of a solenoid valve supplying jacks 11 and 12 with fluid until the cancelling out of the resulting signal or by any other known regulation system.

In this way it is easy to understand that the level of the new support surface of the sleepers is always regulated as a function of the possible variations in the degree of settling of the ballast caused by the tamping operation, so that the track level after packing corresponds to the desired level 9 or is higher than this level by a predetermined value, which is introduced into the regulation chain by means of adjustment member 30.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a variant of the tool for introducing ballast beneath the sleepers'ln this case it is a type of a plough having a plough share 32 in front of a member 33, said plough can advantageously vibrate in the direction transverse to the track. This plough is connected to the machines chassis 2 by means of two height-regulatable members such as hydraulic jacks I1 and 12'. A third jack 15' such as that in FIG. 1 for rais ing the track is placed preferably between the two first jacks substantially upright to the plough. The regulation, shown in part, is the same as that for FIG. 1, except that the lifting control acts on the lifting jack 15' instead of acting on the lifting of the leveling tool and that the sensing device 23' senses the upper level of the rail head instead of the lower face of the leveling tool.

This will be better understood with the aid of FIG. 3 whereon is only shown the track and the ploughs, which function as follows: during the continuous forward movement ploughshare 32 introduces ballast beneath the sleepers by pushing it along the vertical inclined plane 34 in such a way as to fill the space made by the raising operation then the member 33 forces the ballast under the ends of the sleepers thus filling the space left by the passage of the ploughshare.

This device as described and illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in its preferred form also contain members permitting the performance of the other variants defined in the introduction.

Thus if it is not required to regulate the level of the new support surface of the sleepers it is possible'with the circuit shown by the long broken lines A to directly use the signal 8,, to control either the regulation of the leveling tool level 13 (FIG. 1) or to regulate the level of rail 3 (FIG. 2). ln the former case it is assumed that the degree of subsidence of the track by tamping is a constant.

If it is also required to regulate the track subsidence caused by tamping it is also possible with the circuit shown by short broken lines B to directly use the signal S to vary one of the pulsating tamping force parameters, i.e. either the frequency of the vibrations or the intensity of the vertical static force or with the circuit represented by spaced broken lines C to use said circuit S to vary the rate of forward movement of the machine by acting on the speed variator 7 of said machine.

What we claim is:

l. A process for packing and leveling railway tracks by compacting of the ballast beneath the sleepers by continuous forward movement along the track, wherein two interdependent operations are simultaneously performed in two different zones, namely:

a. the first operation comprising: raising the track in the first zone, and introducing ballast beneath the raised sleepers and forming for said sleepers a new support surface at such a level that when the track is laid again on said new support surface, it is at a level which is above the desired track level; and

b. the second operation comprising: vertically tamping in the second zone said support surface by applying to the rails a vertical pulsating force until the track is lowered at the desired track level.

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the track subsidence due to the tamping is regulated by varying at least one of the pulsating tamping force parameters.

3. Process according to claim 1 wherein the track subsidence due to the tamping is regulated by varying the packing advance rate.

4. Process according to claim 1, wherein the level of the new support surface of the sleepers which is being sought during the first operation is corrected as a function of the variations between the track level after tamping and the desired track level.

5. Device able to move along a railway track and to pack the same by compacting the ballast beneath the sleepers by continuous forward movement, said device having means for raising the track such as raise tongs with rollers and means for checking the height position of the track with reference to a leveling base, wherein said device comprises at least one tool introducing ballast beneath the sleepers of the track in a first zone where the track is raised, said tool followed by at least one tamping tool applying to the rails a vertical pulsating force in a second zone where the track is laid.

6. Device according to claim 5, comprising at least two lateral ploughs one on each side of the track for bringing the ballast from the shoulders to beneath the sleepers, wherein said device further comprises a control mechanism of the vertical position of the raising means connected to a measuring device whereof the sensing device, connected to the rails substantially upright to the ploughs, senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.

7. Device according to claim 6, comprising a'second control mechanism for varying at least one of the pulsating force parameters of the tamping tool, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.

8. Device according to claim 6, comprising a second control mechanism for varying the advance rate of the device, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.

9. Device according to claim 6, comprising a corrective device of the control mechanism of the vertical position of the track raising means connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.

10. Device according to claim 5, having at least one ballast leveling tool for bringing the ballast from the sleeper cases to beneath the sleepers and leveling the support surface thereof, wherein said. device further comprises a control mechanism of the vertical position of the ballast leveling tool connected to a measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the ballast leveling tool senses the level of said tool with reference to the leveling base.

11. Device according to claim 10, comprising a second control mechanism for varying at least one of the pulsating force parameters of the tamping tool, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.

12. Device according to claim 10, comprising a second control mechanism for varying the advance rate of the device, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.

13. Device according to claim 10, comprising a corrective device of the control mechanism of the vertical position of the ballast leveling tool connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or uprightto the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base. 

1. A process for packing and leveling railway tracks by compacting of the ballast beneath the sleepers by continuous forward movement along the track, wherein two interdependent operations are simultaneously performed in two different zones, namely: a. the first operation comprising: raising the track in the first zone, and introducing ballast beneath the raised sleepers and forming for said sleepers a new support surface at such a level that when the track Is laid again on said new support surface, it is at a level which is above the desired track level; and b. the second operation comprising: vertically tamping in the second zone said support surface by applying to the rails a vertical pulsating force until the track is lowered at the desired track level.
 2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the track subsidence due to the tamping is regulated by varying at least one of the pulsating tamping force parameters.
 3. Process according to claim 1 wherein the track subsidence due to the tamping is regulated by varying the packing advance rate.
 4. Process according to claim 1, wherein the level of the new support surface of the sleepers which is being sought during the first operation is corrected as a function of the variations between the track level after tamping and the desired track level.
 5. Device able to move along a railway track and to pack the same by compacting the ballast beneath the sleepers by continuous forward movement, said device having means for raising the track such as raise tongs with rollers and means for checking the height position of the track with reference to a leveling base, wherein said device comprises at least one tool introducing ballast beneath the sleepers of the track in a first zone where the track is raised, said tool followed by at least one tamping tool applying to the rails a vertical pulsating force in a second zone where the track is laid.
 6. Device according to claim 5, comprising at least two lateral ploughs one on each side of the track for bringing the ballast from the shoulders to beneath the sleepers, wherein said device further comprises a control mechanism of the vertical position of the raising means connected to a measuring device whereof the sensing device, connected to the rails substantially upright to the ploughs, senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.
 7. Device according to claim 6, comprising a second control mechanism for varying at least one of the pulsating force parameters of the tamping tool, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.
 8. Device according to claim 6, comprising a second control mechanism for varying the advance rate of the device, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.
 9. Device according to claim 6, comprising a corrective device of the control mechanism of the vertical position of the track raising means connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.
 10. Device according to claim 5, having at least one ballast leveling tool for bringing the ballast from the sleeper cases to beneath the sleepers and leveling the support surface thereof, wherein said device further comprises a control mechanism of the vertical position of the ballast leveling tool connected to a measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the ballast leveling tool senses the level of said tool with reference to the leveling base.
 11. Device according to claim 10, comprising a second control mechanism for varying at least one of the pulsating force parameters of the tamping tool, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.
 12. Device according to claim 10, comprising a second control mechanism for varying the advance rate of the device, said control mechanism being connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected tO the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base.
 13. Device according to claim 10, comprising a corrective device of the control mechanism of the vertical position of the ballast leveling tool connected to a second measuring device whereof the sensing device connected to the rails to the rear or upright to the tamping tool senses the track level by reference to the leveling base. 